Covid-19 Pandemic: Fact Finding in Nigeria
Corona virus according to the World Health Organization is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered corona virus. Most people infected with the covid-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment.
Older people and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.
Corona virus also known as covid-19 has achieved fame more than the world ruling class. It attains its universal recognition in early 2020 and brings the global economy to standstill.
Nigeria is not an exception. In fact, the Federal Ministry of Health confirmed the first case of Covid-19 on February 27, 2020. Since its arrival in Nigeria, the country and her subject have not breathed in the air of freedom.
At the time of putting up this material (July, 2020), the Nation has recorded more than 30 thousand cases of Covi-19 pandemic with over 669 death and 12,108 recoveries according to the figures released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
The governments at various levels and other relevant authorities have been at their best, doing all they can to mitigate the instantaneous spread of the dreadful virus that has rendered a lot of Nigerians irredundant. It comes like a termite inwardly ravaging firewood.
In what I categorize as Unbelievers, in spite of the ugly sound from the drumbeat by the Covid-19 pandemic, most of Nigerians doubt its reality in the country. The Unbelievers Category dances to the notion that it’s not viable in Nigeria.
The Unbelievers Category of Covid-19 pandemic thinks that it is a political gambit which aims at enriching some government officials at the expense of common Nigerians. This is buttress by huge donations by privileged Nigerians and other countries.
In reality, we have the Believers and Unbelievers of Covid-19 pandemic just as we have the Believers and Unbelievers of Jesus Christ.
The roots of the Unbelievers are deepened by the claims of former president Olusegun Obasanjo that the corona virus patients in Nigeria are malaria patients. This category shares his stance.
As the journey continues, various statements of the governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello seem considerable. At first he said there is a lot of propaganda in Covid-19 cases in Nigeria. The declaration of corona virus cases in Kogi State generated controvercies.
Kogi State governor also noted that the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) was desperate to record index cases in Kogi State. Before this, he said earlier that he was under pressure to declare false cases of corona virus.
Yahaya Bello seems to be on a lone path among the governors of the federation over his position on this subject. Though, the governor of Cross River State maintains that there are no cases of corona virus in the state even when NCDC said no state in Nigeria is covid-19 free.
The owl is the wisest of all birds because the more it sees, less it speaks. With this argument, it is exceedingly right for one to think if both governors are seeing what others could not; or their judgments are beclouded by selfish interest.
The governor of Kogi State on a different occasion as quoted by Daily Post said; “Let us stop this game. Nigerians are suffering. Instead of the lockdown with attendant negative effects on the people, why can’t we turn it into employment opportunities; providing clothes for face masks to be exported to these countries who have the disease?”
He hits the nail on its head. A careful evaluation of the above assertion makes a common Nigerian concludes that the index cases in Nigeria are unrealistic. He speaks the mind of the Unbelievers category.
The Kogi State governor who earns the admiration of Unbelievers category of the covid-19 pandemic further stated that, “covid-19 is not a new disease in our clime. We have our own way of treating it and that is what we should be exploiting, rather than subjecting our people to hardship, hunger and starvation through lockdown”.
Most Nigerians have wished the world come to an end because of hardship, suffering and frustration. The poor masses see hell. The cost of transportation, products and services are on daily rise with no money to afford them. It was on this circumstance that the director of El Comfort Hospital Asaba, Dr. Ifeanyi Ajufoh lamented that African governments lack the capacity to support lockdown. They introduce lockdown without making provisions for the well being of the citizens.
The Nigerian corona virus does not go to the market. What an irony? The Unbelievers category posited that our markets are congested. The traders and buyers do not adhere to the stringent measures mapped out by NCDC, yet, they are not affected. The top political class that has less contacts with people contracts it.
A picture they say worth more than a thousand words. Media coverage of covid-19 in Nigeria sparked differences. Its coverage in Nigeria shows that something is hidden at the bottom of palm oil. While Nigeria Mass Media report figures manipulated by Nigeria Center for Disease Control, International Media such as CNN, BBC, Al-Jazeera among others show video footage of corona virus patients.
To crown it all, Pastor Chris Iyakhilome joins the league of Unbelievers category. On his part, the death of people in Wuhan is caused by 5G technology not corona virus. This was accompanied by many controversial comments by influential religious leaders.
Recounting the impact of covid-19, the pronouncement of its existence in Nigeria makes most of Nigerians to bite their tongues in dismay. The closure of schools over the months closes the sources of livelihoods of school proprietors/proprietresses, bookshop operatives, authors and publishers. They are people who survive through academic activities even when they are not directly employed by schools.
Not trusting the government on its policies and programmes is one of the worst things that could trap both the authorities in power and citizens. The category of Unbelievers of the covid-19 pandemic neither believe, nor trust government decisions and actions.
The covid-19 pandemic is real in Nigeria. Not holding on to the laid down directives by the Nigeria Center for Disease Control is a suicide venture. A lot of Hospitals have been sealed off across the State bordering on the exposure of their staff to suspected persons infected by corona virus.
To be candid, three units of the Central Hospital Ughelli in Ughelli North Local Government Area Delta State was once shut down by the State government over suspected cases of covid-19. The truth remains that Delta State Government cannot condescend so low to the magnitude of depriving the masses of medical care over irrelevant matters.
This piece is dedicated to clearing the doubts of the Unbelievers category of covid-19. Even doctors are afraid over it. Sticking to the use of personal protective equipment, observing social distancing and other precautionary approaches by NCDC will give the Nation green light at the fight against the corona virus.
